There are several main types of smokers, each with distinct characteristics:
Offset Smokers These have a separate firebox attached to a cooking chamber. Heat and smoke travel from the firebox through the cooking area and out a chimney. They offer excellent flavor and large cooking capacity, but require constant attention to maintain temperature and can have hot spots. Popular with serious pitmasters but demanding for beginners.
Kettle Grills Standard charcoal grills like Weber kettles can smoke using indirect heat setups. You bank coals to one side and place meat on the other, adding wood chunks for smoke. They're affordable and versatile but have limited capacity and require frequent fuel additions for long cooks.
Bullet/Water Smokers Cylindrical smokers like Weber Smokey Mountain have a water pan between the fire and food. The water helps stabilize temperature and adds moisture. They're user-friendly, fuel-efficient, and produce excellent results, making them great for beginners.
Pellet Smokers These use compressed wood pellets fed automatically into a burn pot. A digital controller maintains precise temperatures. They're extremely convenient - almost "set and forget" - but some purists feel they don't produce as much smoke flavor as other types.
Electric Smokers Use electric heating elements with wood chips for smoke. Very easy to use with consistent temperatures, but limited smoke production and flavor compared to wood or charcoal units.
Kamado Grills Ceramic egg-shaped cookers that excel at heat retention. They can smoke, grill, and even bake. Fuel-efficient and versatile, but expensive and have a learning curve for temperature control.
Gas Smokers Similar to electric but use propane. Convenient temperature control but limited smoke flavor unless you add wood chips or chunks regularly.
Each type involves tradeoffs between convenience, flavor, capacity, and cost.